Re: Bad Doctors...Bad Medical Care...How do you get doctors to listen to you?
BlueRose,
It saddens me to see that you have had such a poor experience with your medical care. Unfortuantly, this tends to be the way medicine is going. Why? (I will try to avoid too much soap box on this) Insurance and HMOs are the problem.
First, insurance is destroying medical SERVICE. While people with insurance are more likely to get care, they are less likely to get quality care. Why? In-network insurance (which almost all physicians are forced to take) forces the doctor to take a pay cut, sometimes a HUGE pay cut. A typical doctor visit would run $150 to run the electricity, pay the staff, pay for equipment used, and eventually profit the doctor. You typically pay a $25 copay on most insurance, which will then pay around $50-75. Thats a 30% plus reduction in payment. Now, what has this caused doctors to do?
1) Spend less time with patients...more patients eventually pay for the FIXED costs of running an office.
2) Double and triple book patients to make up for cancellations
-This runs the doctor ragged, overworked and underpaid.
From a doctor point of view, an HMO is the worst thing ever. Basically, the HMO pays the doctor for every patient they send them (whether or not they show up or get treatment). This is a FLAT rate. So, the more treatment you need, the doctor ends up paying you to come see him. What does this ultimately do? Destroys your service and gives the doctor no incentive to actually treat you. EVERYWHERE else in the US, more work equals more pay...with an HMO, less work equals more pay.
I absolutely do not agree with what doctors do in order to compensate for insurance/HMOs, however I do understand the situation they are in. Dentists have thankfully stayed mostly out of the insurance deathtrap, but its creeping up slowly.
What can you do to find a doctor who might actually listen?
1) Younger doctors are more apt to listen than older ones (who are set in their ways and ideas)
2) Doctors who are NOT in network are more likely to be able to spend more time with their patients.
3) And ultimately, its a patient-doctor relationship. Just like every relationship in life, some work out and some don't. Its a long search until you find one you like, but eventually its worth it.
I know this probably does not help much, but I hope the background information will help you be more informed when you seek quality medical care.